The present invention relates to industrial trucks and, more particularly, to the provision of a so-called push-pull unit for fork lift pallet trucks of the walkie type.
Heretofore, it has been known to provide industrial trucks with so-called pusher and push-pull apparatus wherein there is carried at the front of the truck a platen and frame mounted to a mast of the truck whereby elevation and tilt of the platen is provided by the truck. The frame carries a hydraulicly actuatable scissors linkage for movement of a pusher plate for pushing and/or pulling, with said pusher plate typically having gripper jaws for seizing a cardboard slip sheet having a load thereon, whereby the same may be pulled onto the platen.
Such "pushers and push-pulls" have fairly recently become widely accepted as an alternative to fork lift mechanisms for lifting and transporting a conventionally palletized load, i.e. making use of the ubiquitous variety of wooden pallets. The use of this recent development is referred to as "palletless" handling since loading, unloading and stacking of loads may be accomplished readily without use of conventional pallets.
There are in wide-spread usage small motorized forklift pallet trucks of the so-called walkie type having a power unit with a tiller-operated drive wheel for operating the vehicle while the operator stands or walks next to the truck, where he may control raising and lowering of a pair forks of picking up and transporting a conventional pallet or palletized load. But heretofore such walkie fork lift trucks have not been utilizable for palletless handling.
An object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for the equippage of fork lift trucks with push-pull means.
A further object of the invention is to provide push-pull apparatus of the character stated which can be installed upon a fork lift pallet truck of the walkie type for permitting palletless handling.
A further object of the invention is to provide push-pull apparatus of the character stated which not only is of modular character for facile, simple installation upon a walkie-type fork lift truck but also is user installable.
A still further object of the invention is to provide push-pull apparatus of the character stated which can be installed upon such walkie fork lift truck with but simple, easily effected modification of the fork lift truck.
Another object of the invention is to provide a push-pull apparatus of the character stated which can be installed upon a walkie fork lift truck without destroying the general character and operation of the truck and which permits a conventional pallet or palletized load to be picked up and carried.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fork-lift truck of the walkie type adapted for handling of palletless loads.
Among other objects of the invention may be noted the provision of such push-pull apparatus and truck which is compact, economically manufactured and of rugged, long-lasting and reliable in use, and which speeds and facilitates loading, unloading and stacking of palletless loads while preventing load damage.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinbelow.